How Customer Service Reflects Leadership

We recently had an amazing customer service experience. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were required to have our wood floors repaired and refinished. The company we used was fantastic. Why?

They did what they said they were going to do when they said they were going to do it.

Since we were required to vacate our home during this project, they kept us informed every step of the way, and provided photographs at the end of every day.

They responded immediately to every question we had.

They did two or three little extra things that we asked for without hesitation, and without extra cost.

In short, they did a magnificent job managing the transformation of our floors.

How does this translate to our everyday work as transformational leaders? When you are leading a transformation:

Be sure you are relying on a clear plan that outlines every step of the way. If steps are running off schedule, be sure the organization understands what is happing, the risk, and how you are mitigating it.

Communicate, feedback, communicate, feedback. Have a robust communication plan in place that keeps your organization informed, let’s them know how to obtain more information, and give them a forum to have their questions answered and feedback considered.

Don’t quibble over trivial things. Have a process in place to handle large scope changes, but if a small investment can make a positive difference, just do it.

When you follow these simple suggestions, you’ll be amazed at the difference. You galvanize your leadership team around profitable growth, launch significant buy-in and acceptance, and institutionalize enduring change.